After all the Nen users focused their aura to enhance their vision, they could see it clearly—blazing golden aura clashing with dense black and blue malice. The two immense forces intertwined, colliding with an earth-shattering impact!
"Ahhh!"
Though Gon and Killua had already retreated to a corner of the tower, the shockwave from the collision still sent violent gusts toward them.
All they could do was brace themselves against the ground, digging in to avoid being blown away.
At the same time, they shielded their faces with their arms, gritting their teeth as they endured the raging storm.
Watching the fight? Impossible. They couldn't even keep their eyes open.
"This is insane! With this kind of power, no wonder he was the champion of the last combat festival!"
"Yeah! With aura like that, even if I trained for a hundred years, I wouldn't reach that level!"
"Looks like we'll need a real expert to handle this... Come on!!"
For a moment, the sheer strength Ronnel displayed ignited hope among the Nen users trapped in Heavens Arena.
As for the ordinary spectators, they were simply awestruck by his power.
Many clenched their fists in anticipation, eyes locked onto the screen, praying for the outcome they wanted most.
"... Ronnel should be fine, right?"
Unlike the hopeful crowd, Bisky—Ronnel's master and a veteran of the Hunter Association—had heard whispers about the shadowy figure he was facing.
And at this moment, she wasn't sure if her apprentice could handle it.
After all, they were from different eras.
"Ronnel-san will definitely win."
Zushi, lying on the ground and receiving medical treatment, spoke in a weak but determined tone.
His wide eyes never left the screen, filled with unshakable faith.
"Yeah, he will," Wing said with a reassuring smile. But as he looked up, his expression darkened with worry.
"It's all up to you now, Ronnel..."
"It's actually countering Jed-sama's malice....?!"
The figure seated cross-legged in the ring—known as Gaki—was astonished.
"So, Shura wasn't exaggerating when he said this guy's strength rivals mine. I didn't expect this leftover to be such a big fish! But..."
Gaki's gaze shifted to Jed's face, noticing a familiar, almost identical, twisted grin.
"So, he's excited now too? How pitiful."
Clicking his tongue, Gaki smirked. "If that's all he's got, and yet he's managed to excite Jed-sama... well, he's in for a rough time."
"Enough sighing, Gaki! There's another guy—a blond one in a black suit—running around the corridor. Go handle him~"
Shura's voice crackled over the communicator.
"Got it. What floor?"
"He's on the 253rd floor, heading toward—"
Whoosh!
Inside the main control room, the long-haired Shura was mid-sentence when a sharp whistling sound cut through the air behind him.
Snap!
Shura barely dodged as a playing card sliced through the air, severing his communication link with pinpoint accuracy.
"Oh? Looks like I found the right place~"
Leaning against the doorframe, Hisoka twirled a few cards in his fingers, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Seems like there are still plenty of restless people~"
Shura raised a hand to his face, peering at Hisoka through the gaps between his fingers, his gaze icy cold.
"Shape Shifter!"
In an instant, dark blue-black tendrils burst from the surrounding machinery, whipping toward Hisoka.
"Now this is fun!!"
A twisted, delighted grin spread across Hisoka's face as he vanished from sight.
The battle had begun.
"Hello? Shura? You there? What's going on?"
Gaki knocked his communicator, but after receiving no response, he clicked his tongue and stood up from the ring.
"Tch. Whatever. It should be handled soon enough. Might as well check out the other fish that slipped through the net. Hope this one isn't too much weaker than Jed-sama's opponent... Damn it, even I am getting excited now~"
Another battlefield was about to ignite.
Meanwhile, atop the tower...
"Even in the highest-level missions I took back in the Shadow, I've never encountered aura like this."
Unlike Gaki, Jed wasn't making vague estimations of Ronnel's strength. He was experiencing it firsthand.
And his understanding of it ran deeper than anyone else's—even deeper than Netero's.
Because the sheer intensity of Ronnel's aura, and the way his aura flowed, reminded him of Netero himself in their long-ago battle.
"He's close... Close to how Netero was in his youth. No wonder that old man had such high hopes for you!"
Madness flickered in Jed's eyes as his lips twisted into a hate-filled grin.
"Good. This is perfect. I'll start collecting interest for Netero's sins—starting with you!"
Jed had been provoked by Ronnel to the point of near-madness.
As he spoke, he moved—blue-black flames igniting in his palm, flickering with malice.
The moment the flame took form, he hurled it at Ronnel.
Then another. And another.
Like a human Gatling gun, Jed's hands unleashed a relentless barrage of malice-infused fireballs!
"An ability that converts hatred into energy projectiles?"
Ronnel didn't charge in recklessly. Instead, he used the open space atop the tower to his advantage, weaving through the attacks while analyzing Jed's technique.
They were from the same generation—one standing in the light, the other hidden in the shadows.
They were connected by a single coin.
And once... they had been friends.
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